My Father's Crime
by Alecto Perdita
Summary: Hades (Pluto) is the god of death and Cronus (Saturn) is the god of time. Then, have you ever wondered why Sailor Pluto's and Sailor Saturn's powers did not match their guardian deities? [Complete]


I just fixed it up a bit cause I plan on entering it in a contest. This is a side story, an almost interlude of A Different Kind of Sunrise. I'm not quite sure... You don't need to read this to understand the actual fic. The fic has only began but reading this interlude will give you a better idea of what's to come in the fic itself. As I said, this is just a side story and won't have a big effect on the fic.

**My Father's Crime  
**By Alecto Perdita  
Rating: PG - PG-13  
Revised: August 11, 2008  
Email: alecto . perdita (at) gmail . com

* * *

Fourteen was the typical age that the eldest Prince or Princess of a Kingdom ascended to the power of a Sailor Senshi. According to the Hebrew, Yôdh and Gîmel, ten and four, stood for destiny and survival. When talking about the significance of a number, fourteen is one rarely spoken of or defined. Most scopes stop just short of fourteen and end at thirteen and then skipping onto twenty, thirty, and so forth. But the important fact is, the power of a Sailor Senshi is given at the age of fourteen.

In many ways, this concept is similar to being knighted. The son of a noble would become a stronger lord in the years to come if he was a knight. If the heir were a warrior in earlier years, he or she would become a stronger ruler when he or she ascended to the throne. Throughout history, Kingdoms have always looked for a way to increase the strength and wisdom of the heir, whether it is to send him off to battle or appoint him on a sacred quest for knowledge. But I'm getting off track now.

Sailor Saturn and Sailor Pluto were different, however. These two positions did not change with each generation like the rest of the Sailor Senshi. They were only replaced when the previous senshi was killed. Sailor Saturn, the solitary Guardian of Time and Space, forever bound to protect the Time Gate; and Sailor Pluto, the sacrificial Soldier of Death, meant to sleep for eternity and only awakened as a last resort against Evil.

No, I'm not mistaken. I am Sailor Pluto. My Princess and fellow senshi also know me as Meiou Setsuna. I do not make this up. Think of it this way. Each planet has a guardian deity, one of the gods if you will. For example, Selene is the guardian of the moon and Zeus is the guardian of Jupiter. A Sailor Senshi's duty is sacred and they are blessed and presented to the god of their planet. From their gods, they draw certain attributes that become a part of their power. Zeus is the god of the heavens and is the wielder of lightning and Sailor Jupiter's power derives mainly from lightning.

Now, Cronus, the god of time, is the guardian of the planet of Saturn and Hades, the god of the dead, is the guardian of the planet Pluto. Confused are you? I was at first also. I am Sailor Pluto, yet I am the Guardian of the Time Gate. Sailor Saturn or Tomoe Hotaru is the Soldier of Death and Rebirth. It was not meant to happen this way.

Those of you familiar with Greek mythology know the gods to be meddlesome personalities that interfere with the lives of both other gods and mortals alike. Mortals never could truly or accurately capture the traits of the gods that co-existed with them, but in this case... This mix-up is the result of my father's intrusion. The events that I am about to divulge to you have haunted me for centuries. I was more than willing to accept my duty as the Soldier of Death. I am Sailor Pluto. Now, an innocent girl is trapped in place of me, betrayed by my father and left to suffer the consequences of his actions... I am Sailor Pluto, daughter of Hades...

--

The Charon Palace was in an uproar. Its occupants, from the lowest servant to the highest noble, rushed about in a frantic and panicked manner, creating an almost amusing picture of chickens with their heads cut off. In an isolated wing of the Palace, where only a team of physicians and midwives was allowed to enter, the Queen of Charon was giving birth to her firstborn child.

Hades paced outside the Queen's room. He winced with every scream that sounded from the room. His heart stopped as he heard another scream join his lover's. He rushed past the servants and barged into the chamber. He rushed to her bedside to find she had finally given birth to a healthy baby girl. He sank to his knees and gently caressed the child's forest green hair. In all his centuries of life, he had never sired a child before.

Queen Nadia of Pluto gazed at the ruler of the dead. No, they could never be together. He was god and she was mortal, neither side would ever recognize such a union. But she knew he would always be there for their daughter, she could clearly see that in his ruby eyes. She looked down at her newborn daughter. She had her father's eyes...

The child was strangely quiet after her first cry. She was silent as she took in her surroundings. She gazed at things in an innocent and pure manner that only a child possessed. Nadia grasped his hand tightly. "What are we going to name her?"

"How about...Shizu?" Hades suggested as he held the child close to him.

"Princess Shizu of Charon." She savored the way the words rolled upon her tongue. A wide grin spread across her matted face. "I like it..."

--

It truly started about nineteen years later, after the peace of the galaxy was shattered by war. A war that reminded the Sailor Senshi their first and utmost duty was not to serve the gods, but protect the innocents at all cost, including bringing destruction upon the gods themselves. But the Conflicting Wars, as it was called, had just come to its end. Queen Eos of Solaris had come to sign the treaty and negotiate compensation for the damage done to her Kingdom. The beautiful goddess of dawn rarely met with the other gods, she was known for her disdain for the behavior of the other gods and their Court life in the Realm.

At her side, sat little Aidana, the Queen's royal ward. The little girl looked to be no more than two, not quite understanding the tension around her. Her mother had been the previous High Spirit of fire and when the time came, this child would follow in her mother's footsteps. Far too many scorned, even hated, this child, including the gods. It wasn't her fault though. Her mother had started the Conflicting Wars with her deceit and had set nations against nations and divided the gods right down the middle.

Only yesterday, the Treaty of Dakyo had been signed and a weak alliance between gods and Spirits were forged. The Spirits had finally realized that they could not completely ignore the other inhabitants of their world even if they were there first. All of them shared this world and its many planes of existence and they must work together to preserve it. Under this settlement, the Spirits and their Blessed received a voice in the General Council. It was, however, an uneasy truce nevertheless. Neither side truly trusted the other and they never would.

"What?!" Hades exclaimed as he slammed his hands into the conference table.

"You heard what I said." Zeus stated calmly as he leaned back into his chair. "Your daughter must become Sailor Pluto."

Eos sympathized with the god of the dead. His daughter was better off becoming part of the underworld than becoming the sacrificial soldier of destruction, Sailor Pluto. Many children from her Kingdom had long gone there since the war. She knew a great amount of parents who would rather kill their own children with their bare hands than allow them take on the damnation that was becoming Sailor Pluto. Her heart went out to the god. He obviously loved his daughter very, very much.

Hades turned to Eos and pleaded. "Please tell me it isn't true."

Eos shook head and sighed. She brushed away a strand of gold and yellow hair out of her gray blue eyes. "If only it was...but I'm afraid it's true Hades. The previous Sailor Pluto awoke from her sleep just three days after the first battle of the war. From what I heard, she was completely overcome with blood lust. The destruction around her helped to trigger it. She killed one of the soldiers guarding her tomb before he had a chance to react. One of the others ran her through with his sword. She died just a few steps away from her coffin. The soldier who killed her did not survive either. She took him down with her."

"Foolish soldier." Artemis spat as she polished her bow. "He should have known better. It is within the nature of the senshi of Pluto to destroy. He or she is to sleep forever until awaken to destroyed everything that was, that is, that will be..."

"It didn't matter to him. He would have been dead either way..." The gods stared at Eos in horror. They saw that truth in her grief-filled eyes. "No one wants to admit they've failed and the world as we know it will end...even us gods would have fallen to her power." The hall was absolutely silent. Eos knew she had hit a nerve. Even gods were not completely invincible.

"But she can't become Sailor Pluto, she just can't be! I can't burden her with such a duty and curse!" Hades protested.

"That's enough!" Zeus hissed. "You have your orders. Don't make me repeat them. Queen Nadia has no other children so Shizu is the only one able to become Sailor Pluto. She is of age as well Hades, I believe she is nineteen this year." Hades clamped his mouth shut. There had to be a way out of this, but it wasn't through Zeus. Zeus turned to his father, Cronus, and gave him a firm hug. "Congratulations! I heard Queen Fiona is going to give birth some time this week. We'll finally have a Sailor Saturn to guard the Time Gate."

Cronus appeared to relax considerably at the reminder of that news. "They're expecting a boy. We were getting worried for a while. After the previous Sailor Saturn was killed in the fourth battle of the war, the Time Gate was left unguarded for months. I can only hope that the birth will go well. I don't know what to do if we don't get a Guardian for the Time Gate soon."

Hades head shot up after listening to the conversation between father and son. He would do whatever it took to protect his daughter, whatever action necessary, no matter how dirty or underhanded it was. Eos saw this and bowed her head in shame. She could practically see the wheels turning in Hades' head. She hoped he wasn't going to do what she thought he was going to do...

--

The royal physician shook his head sadly. He pulled the white sheet over the Queen's face. He turned to the King. "I'm sorry but they just didn't survive the birth. It happens..."

The King grasped the Queen's cold hand. "Oh Fiona, why? Why did you and our son leave me?" If he had only looked behind for just one second, he would have seen his wife's killers.

Hades stood silently in the shadow of the room. It was not justified for him to kill the Queen of Saturn but it must be done if he wanted to save his daughter. He absently twirled the bloodied scythe in his hand and watched as Keres came to carry the Queen's soul to the Underworld where Minos and others awaited to judge her.

Eileithyia giggled slightly from her position outside the chamber door. The goddess of childbirth sat with her legs tightly crossed and her robes tied in knots. Her hands and fingers were entangled in a long silken rope that looked hopeless from ever being freed. With surprising ease she slipped her hands out of the cord and the rope tied itself around her waist. She ran her hands along her clothing and the robes immediately unknotted and pooled around her like fluid under her fingertips. "I see you've stooped to the point of killing mortal royalty."

"If you don't approve, you need not help." Hades turned to glare at the goddess situated over the doorway.

"But how could I possibly resist the offer you proposed?" She grinned slyly. "Remember, I had no part in this if Artemis wishes to question the circumstances of her death." She bowed slightly to the god of the dead and vanished in a slight puff of smoke.

Hades nodded faintly as he turned and melted into the shadows, returning to his throne in the Underworld. He would see this all the way through, no matter what.

--

Cronus was worried. Actually it went far beyond any anxiety. Hell! He was terrified, actually terrified, as if there was no tomorrow. News of the Saturian heir's death spread like wildfire. Every god and mortal and immortal now knew that Time had no Guardian. The Time Gate was also a mean of reaching the Realm. This left them rather vulnerable to attackers from the outside.

"What am I going to do? What am I going to do?!" He moaned. A substitute had to be found and quickly. But where?

"Perhaps I could be of some service Father." Hades emerged from the shadows of the room. Cronus stepped back somewhat. He could sense a dangerous air around his son.

"I'm listening Hades." Cronus regarded his son warily.

"Use Shizu, she can be your Guardian of Time." Hades offered simply and nonchalantly.

"She is of Plutonian blood. I cannot use her." Cronus growled. He saw the intent behind Hades' proposal. He wasn't blind. Hades was trying to save his daughter.

"She will still be Sailor Pluto but you will assign her a post at the Time Gate. In turn when you do find a Sailor Saturn, she or he will become my Soldier of Destruction. She or he will become the sacrificial senshi of Death." Hades explained. "I recommend you to accept my offer. Besides, if anything should happen to the Realm or the Time Stream, it'll be on your head..." Hades' ruby eyes seemed to lighten in color in that moment. Cronus shuddered as he stared into his son's blood red eyes. A father's love for his children, something Cronus himself never really had or ever would.

"Are you threatening me?" Cronus whispered gently. His resolve was already beginning to waver.

"Depend on how you look at it Father." Hades held his father's gaze steadily. He already knew he would come out as the victor.

Cronus sighed. He had no choice. There must be a Guardian for the Time Gate, even if the senshi was not of Saturian blood... "Very well, Princess Shizu of Charon will become the next Guardian of the Time Gate."

Hades grinned triumphantly as his father sank into an armchair. "You've made the right choice, Cronus." Phase two was complete. It would only be a matter of time before he secured his daughter's life. Yes, time...

--

Sailor Pluto kneeled before Cronus, god of time. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see her mother tightly squeezing her father's hand for comfort. Selene, or better known as Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, one of the few gods who held a mortal throne, watched sadly from the sideline. Her sister, Eos of Solaris, was altering glares at her father and Cronus. She was clearly displeased with the situation. The other gods were impassive as they watched the ceremony.

She was a demi-god, a breed that was often misunderstood and despised. She was especially feared because her father was Hades, god of death, and she was meant to be the Soldier of Destruction. Why this had changed was beyond her. But Eos' disapproval of the entire ceremony in general only spurred rumors of the possible dastardly actions on the part of her father.

In one hand, Cronus held the Time Staff. The Garnet Orb gleamed brightly under the ceremonial lights. She clutched her scythe tightly as Cronus spoke. "Do you Princess Shizu of Charon, do you accept your duties as the Sailor Senshi of your planet and Kingdom, Sailor Pluto? Do you swear your life to my service, whether it be to protect me or destroy me?"

"Hai, I do." The words tasted bitter as they left her lips. It didn't feel right. She was meant to be the senshi of Death, not Time. Had her parents made some deal with the Dark Side to save her from that fate? She was prepared to accept that duty. The only thing that worried her was who would be trapped in her place? What innocent and poor soul would be enslaved because of her? "I do solemnly swear my fealty and life to the protection of those who need it."

"Your life for this duty, your sacrifice is known to all in this hall this day. I transfer to you the Time Staff and the Garnet Orb, the symbol of your new duty and power. Do not fail us." Chrono held the Time Staff out to the trembling teenager. Pluto numbly grasped the Time Staff and relinquished her scythe to the god. Shouldn't she be happy? She would never have to worry about becoming nothing more than a cold-bloodied killer. She would never have to worry about killing her family in a blind and murderous rage.

"Sailor Pluto, you are the Guardian of the Time Gate, the senshi who defends Time and Space. You have three Taboos that cannot be broken! First...time travel is not allowed. Second... you are not allowed to leave the Gate. And the third Taboo is...you may not stop Time. You and your Time Staff possess the power to move Time and Space...but no matter what may happen...you must never stop Time. If you should break this Taboo...at that time...you will destroy yourself... Serve us well."

Pluto bowed her head. "I accept..." Bangs of forest green hair fell over her watering eyes. It really didn't matter in the end. Her Fate had already been sealed...

--

Years passed and Saturn remained without a Sailor Senshi. As the Old King was laid to rest and the New King, the previous King's nephew, was crowned, the people of the Kingdom began to whisper about their rotten luck. Were they forsaken by a greater force? Was their Kingdom doomed? These whispers were soon silenced with the birth of a healthy girl to the King and Queen of Titan.

Crowds of people gathered outside the Palace to catch a glimpse of their new Princess. A High Priest of Cronus emerged onto a balcony and presented Princess Elita of Titan, a child with hair of violet and eyes to match, to both the people of the Kingdom and Cronus. The people cheered. They would now have a Sailor Senshi to defend and protect them. Cronus could only shake his head in sorrow as he witnessed these proceedings. The gods themselves knew little of the arrangement made between Hades and Cronus, much less mortals.

Princess Elita was the treasure, the gem if you will, of the entire Kingdom. She was beloved by the people of the Palace and the Kingdom. Poets wrote of the beauty that their Princess would no doubt become. On her fifth birthday, Cronus presented the Princess with a beautifully crafted glaive from the forges of Hesphestus. This arose many questions. The traditional weapon of the Saturian Royalty was the staff. Why was the Princess given such a deadly weapon? Elita loved the weapon nevertheless. It was a personalized gift from her guardian deity, why wouldn't she love and appreciate it?

As the years passed, Elita proved herself to be an undefeatable warrior, the best of the best. No one, not even some of the best soldiers of the land, with swords, staff, or any other weapon could overcome her. Her parents watched her grow with pride. She was a sweet and kind child with an amazing ability to heal. They were, of course, saddened at the prospect of their daughter would eventually be leaving them to fulfill her duty as Sailor Saturn. Little did they know what the gods truly had in store for their daughter.

--

Sailor Saturn approached the dais where Cronus stood. She could sense the anxious tension that lingered in the air. Queen Eos and her two other sisters, Princess Chika and Princess Kazesu of Solaris, had declined the invitation to the ceremony almost immediately. They verbally attacked and denounced Hades and Cronus for the deal they made years ago. No one but those few seemed to know the detail of this deal and all refused to elaborate it any further. This had caused uproar in the Court. The Queen of Solaris was known for her calm nature and almost stolid attitude toward everything in general, especially toward the most of her kinsmen.

Saturn's mouth suddenly went dry and her stomach fell. She watched in an almost compelled manner as Cronus stepped away to reveal Hades. "Kneel Sailor Saturn." Hades commanded. Saturn complied but was still confused. Was it not the duty of her guardian divinity to swear her in? She could see Cronus join the rest in the sidelines. "Princess Elita of Titan, do you accept your duties as the Sailor Senshi of your planet and Kingdom, Sailor Saturn? Do you swear your life to my service, whether it be to protect me or destroy me?"

"Yes, I do." Saturn proclaimed. Every word spoken in these ceremonies followed strict protocol and tradition. The words she spoke now, not matter how little, were the same words spoken by all Sailor Senshi, from those who came before her, to those who would come after her. No one dared to stray from this unwritten script, the consequences were unknown and no one wanted to find out exactly what they were. "I do solemnly swear my fealty and life to the protection of those who need it."

"Your life for this duty, your sacrifice is known to all in this hall this day." Hades continued. Hecate, the dark goddess of the moon, appeared at Hades' side. Her hounds sat obedient next to her, eyeing Saturn hungrily. She held a long beautiful glaive that shone dangerously. It was taller than her but she knew instinctively it was just the right weight. She was Sailor Saturn, the Soldier of Eternity. She had thought the Time Staff and the Garnet Orb would be passed down to her like every other Sailor Saturn before her.

Hecate handed the weapon down to the teenager. Her midnight hair seemed to slither around her lithe form like serpents. Kindness once shone in her eyes but she was a Queen of the Underworld and the Underworld changed those who didn't belong them. Cynicism and a nearly sick humor were all that remained in its mahogany depths.

The long violet handle fit perfectly into her hands as she internally marveled at the craftsmanship. It was so light in her hands yet it seemed to place an unshakable burden on her soul. The milky white blade was curved around, as she had never seen a glaive designed such as this. The weapon was nearly twice her size but she had always been a petite child.

"With the Silence Glaive." Saturn looked up at Hades in horror. Hades ignored the girl's betrayed expression. This had to be done. With the end of this ceremony, came the ensured freedom of his daughter... Or as Pluto would see it, her eternal damnation. "As the symbol of your duty, do you accept?"

Her body immediately betrayed her as the words, "Hai, I do." rolled off her tongue. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see her parents screaming outrageously at Cronus. They shouted and raved but she could not hear them. The world around her began to slip from her grasp. It spun and turned. Hades' lips moved but she did not hear the words. There was a small glimmer of success in his ruby eyes.

Her body relaxed yet her hand still retained its grip on the Silence Glaive. There was much movement and commotion as a Sailor Senshi suddenly appeared right before her. Her jade hair was so dark it was almost black pulled up into a single bun on top of her head with long tresses falling down her back. Her senshi fuku was dark, her skirt and collar almost black. Sailor Pluto, she recognized the color of the fuku. This senshi was the ever-enigmatic Sailor Pluto, the Soldier of Destruction. Yet in her hand was the Time Staff that rightfully belonged to Saturn. It was this soldier's eyes that intrigued Saturn the most. Ruby and garnet red they were, they so resembled the god of death who stood before her. Yet they were filled with untold remorse and guilt.

Saturn's head swam as Hades raised his hands and addressed the audience. It was done and her fate was sealed. Sailor Pluto's panicked expression loomed in her mind. Time seemed to slow. Was this Pluto's doing or simply her detrimental imagination? 'It's not your fault.' And her entire world turned to darkness. Then...there was no more.

Owari


End file.
